One imho very important addition to go to the right side when you have an accident or a breakdown. Always stay behind the crash barrier and don’t wait inside your car for the tow truck or the ADAC to come. This may save your life. So in case of an accident where your car isn’t moving anymore, try to get out as save and as quick as possible and go safely to the side of the Autobahn behind the crash barrier and stay there. You don‘t want to be the guy who died, because someone drove into your accident.
I was picking my mom up from the airport and she did say how enormous Ausfahrt city must be, cause it just keeps being pointed to along the Autobahn :D
Ausfahrt means exit in German as far as i know its not town name exit whoud be written in language of that country like Izlaz in Croatia or Bosnia and Herzegovina
Your videos are outstanding, not just for expats but us tourists too. What makes driving in Germany a pleasure is all the common sense rules/laws and for the most part everyone follows. Second would be great German engineering, the Hwys and Autobahn are extremely well engineered and maintained. I've driven in alot of countries where driving is very stressful but in Germany for me it is a pleasure to drive in comparison to what I am used to.
Am driving tomorrow on the Autobahn, I have my test in two weeks but still have lessons on the Autobahn before as I struggled to take notice of signs due to focusing on the car ahead to much etc . Watching videos helps a lot, thanks, I've started driving from scratch here having never driven before, it took longer because I've had so many years seeing different roads and knowing different rules
Another interesting one! 11:54 The "end of ruling" signs always show the rule - in this case, the speed limit number. This fourth sign shows none, therefore it finishes ALL rulings at once: "Freie Fahrt für Freie Bürger!" (free driving for free citizens) Also be aware that the speed limit is valid right until the "end" sign - I've been flashed and fined a few meters before a sign, while accelerating prematurely.
Our host family took us on the Autobahn when we were on highschool exchange and it pretty much just felt like a highway. I was the only Australian who didn't fall asleep, but it was a long drive from Marburg to Berlin.
That's pretty much what it is. We should better find out, why there are so many myths around it. The Italian term Autostrada or the french Autoroute is not so known in the world, as the term Autobahn. It has been one of the first of this type of highways, but that's about it.
I think there's much more special about the Autobahn as you might never thought about. The example that you wouldn't find any advertising signs along to avoid to losing attention. Or you can be pretty sure that you won't get surprised by narrow corners or bumpy asphalt, especially in no speed limit areas. Often we get warned by vibrations, when we passing the white lane stripes, to avoid unwanted lane leaving. Many other little security features like mown weed and shorted trees along the road. A fast working rescue system where a bunch of ppl do their best to get the road free and clean after an accident is a further little piece of the puzzle. Then the asphalt itself with some layers, is almost 70 cm thick and only in Germany made for high speed. You will never find any puddles on the road. The signs and lanes can be recognized so much good by reflections. That must be sure by a lot manpower who clean and repair all around. Don't forget our traffic laws with no space for interpretations, so that everybody can anticipate what most likely the others would do next or not. After we had learned all that stuff in our driving schools we're the best educated drivers at all, which I mean not arrogant. Further we have the TÜV where trucks once a year and cars all two years have to pass a technical inspection which is one of the hardest or even the hardest in the world. Ask the tuning scene in Germany. So I can be very sure that the cars around don't lose a wheel suddenly or that maybe are breaks don't working in some cars. Not to forget about what makes the Autobahn that special is the Germans itself. Only for a kind of disciplined culture, where pretty much anybody like to follow the rules, is it possible at all to keep the system working. The statistics are proven. At worst times in the 70's where ~28.000 ppl died per year on the roads in Germany. Today, of course because of much more secure cars (many german btw) we reduced this numbers to ~ 2200 ppl per year, also not at least because of all this security standards on the Autobahn.
Nice video. Well told. My car goes 240+ km/h and becoause i live a few km from Germany and the Autobahn, i sometime drive so fast. I like it. Ofcourse only when i have to go somewhere. Regards from 🇧🇪
The 'blinker' lights are the hazard warning lights when they flash together so its appropriate that when there is a queue ahead the hazard lights should be flashing. In UK the police have the option of pulling you over onto the hard shoulder, in which case they will be behind you with their blue lights flashing as a warning to following vehicles or they may move in front and illuminate their 'follow me' sign. The police and the traffic officers (not police) will always pull up behind a car stranded on the hard shoulder until a recovery or repair has been effected. With no speed limits your are always cautious about what you do and are super aware as to what is around you. Having cruised at 140kph on the Autobahn you cannot naturally assume that the following traffic is not faster than you are and its quite normal for cars to pass travelling at 200kph or more (that 60kph arrives very quickly in the rear view mirror. There was no mention of Kriegs Spuren, which are lanes usually where there are gradients that have a solid white line separating them from the other lane(s). If you are in the RH lane and you then find that this has converted to a Kriegs Spuren you must not cross the white line no mater how slow the queue of traffic is, you stay there until the restriction is removed. The Kriegs Spuren (trans. War Lane) is primarily for vehicles that will be slowed by the gradient e.g. trucks and it is dangerous to attempt to speed up to join the other lanes. The Kriegs Spuren lane could be travelling at
Good job girls! I have a little story from when I visited Germany for the first time... After I was picked up from the airport, I went on the autobahn and I couldn't understand why all the trucks we were overtaking were honking their horns continuously... But I realized after some time that it was their engines making that sound because the trucks were driving with their engines maxed out! :)
Trucks do drive on Sunday, but way fewer. They have a special permit to be allowed to drive on Sunday (because their freight has to arrive in the factory by Monday for example).
Die Richtgeschwindigkeit ist eine Empfehlung der Kfz-Versicherungen. Je weiter man sie überschreitet, umso größer der Anteil der "Mitschuld" an einem Unfall. Ab Tempo 200 ist man praktisch nicht mehr versichert wegen "grober Fahrlässigkeit".
@14:30 I was in Germany for a few months for work in 2021 (here again in 2023!!!!!) and I got dinged FOUR times by the same camera rofl. It's much harder to stay within 10km or so speed rather than 10mph. No tickets yet in 2023 so I must have gotten better at it. I never saw the picture taken as I suppose it was sent to the rental car company but I would have liked to have kept all four lol.
Stationary cameras are even kind of dangerous. When you know where they are, you stare more on your tachometer than on whats happening in front of you, especially next to schools where speed limit is usually 30 km/h and you will need to stay below ~35 to not get a photo. It's even worse when driving an automatic gear shifting car (becoming more and more common in Germany). They often continue accelerating even if not touching the gas pedal, so break control comes into play to keep the car at speed limits. Germany is a place where outdated rules and traditions mess with modern technologies.
Somehow I missed one or two things beeing mentioned: 1. while driving on the Autobahn put on your car-radio to be allerted of traffic jams. Don't be alarmed if the radio suddenly goes louder - it is on purpous. That means "traffic allert is comming" 2. If U hear "Geisterfahrer auf ..." Keep one the right lane, stay away from left lane till the radio say otherweise. Geisterfahrer means someone is driving on the wrong Part of the Autobahn. It DOES NOT means Ghostrider (the one with the flaming scull) is comming 🤨😁🤗
That was really informative video and you guys are always so natural and real, it's just super entertaining to watch as always. :D Jen, I think you've gotten your drivers license about couple years back? I am not fully sure, but I have a suggestion, if you could make a video on "practical driving license exam" only? I know you have a proper video on drivers license explaining each and everything, but it would be amazing if you could make a video specifically about "practical driving test" here in Germany, diving deep into it and sharing your exact experience from start of the test till the end of it, and sharing the challenges you've have had preparing for it, majority of people struggle with that, and your video might help those majority of people and myself of course. Keep up the amazing videos and all the support for you guys.
The practical test for me was actually quite easy and refreshing, since the examiner was super nice. You really just get instructions on drive left, do this, do that. My biggest struggle, as I mentioned in our driving license video was my German instructor 😅
@@simplegermany I see thank you 😊. It's looking same for me, I cleared my theory in 1 go and now waiting for practical lessons to start, but my teacher seems a bit "serious guy". I hope it goes well 😅
Don't forget the middle lane snails. I've seen it so many times: The right lane is free but some people sticking at 120 m/h in the middle lane. Due right overtaking is forbidden one have to pull over from the far right so the far left lane, over take und go to the far right again. Dangerous.
First I like your videos. Just one thing - temporary revokes (one month) of the license will already be issued if you are more then 21 km/h over speed limit in towns and 26 km/h over speed limit outside of towns - includes the Autobahn. You will not see emergency vehicles using the "Seitenstreifen" in Germany (in general).
🙏 Thank you you guys mentioned the Warnblinker at sudden traffic jam and the rescue lane. Never heard before about that soo important topic in other videos. Well done 👍 Another little advice is that because of the high speed it is illegal to be out of fuel on the Autobahn . Also, you get displayed on the signs for the next arriving gas station, how much km it takes to the following gas station. It's not by law I think but it's a standard on the Autobahn, that there isn't more than 50km between 2 gas stations. Principle reachable for you even your fuel clock is in the red part. All over it's a bad idea at all, to buy fuel on the Autobahn. Unless you like to pay €2.50 per liter. If you plan a longer rest with food and stuff and don't wanna get bankrupted, you should look for an "Autohof". This are often bigger areas, recognizable long before because of very high signs, very often next to the Autobahn, sometimes with a gamble store and Mc Donald's, are made for truckers, so they're more affordable, especially if you're on tour as a family. Thank me later for this advice😉
There is no straightforward answer. Get a document from your current insurance stating your record and then contact your new insurance whether they will accept it. 😊
Couple of days ago I've read that somebody was not only driving in the Rettungsgasse but also had an accident there. And it costed them thousands of Euro...
You forgot (at least) two very important rules: 1. Always have enough gas in your car as running out of fuel is not a valid reason to stop - and if caught by the police, you'll be fined. 2. Variable road signs are as mandatory as regular ones. E.g. when there is a lot of traffic, the speed limit gets reduced, whereas in times of few traffic there might be no speed limit at all.
You also should not run out of fuel on the Autobahn…. And if you see an accident happening (not only on the Autobahn) you are obligated to offer first aid, hence the first aid kit in the car and the obligatory first aid course before starting driving lessons. Look far ahead when traveling fast, but also behind you in the mirrors as there could be drivers faster still.
When I first got in theAutobahn it was with my senior colleagues on our way to a workshop and tbh I was kinda surprised how fast Germans drive (compared to my home country). When I commented on it my colleague/supervisor asked how come people don't drive so fast on the highway in my home country and my only response was "Because there are too many of us"
And not in every country the drivers NEED to drive as fast as they can. I observed it e.g. in Denmark and France that many drivers were OK with going slower. I observe it because I'm there with an RV not going fast and seeing normal cars just driving behind me even if they could overtake. I got wondering the first time in Brittany overtaking lots of cars with my old RV if I missed some speed limit (I did not).
@@simplegermany Thank you. It was a save drive. But now that I‘ve been there I have to tell you, that the sign actually ist the actual sign anymore. They added „Nentershausen“ below „Wallmerod“. 🙂
Two stories from the Berliner Stadtautobahn. Both happened in the afternoon when I was driving home after work. 1) it was near Funkturm where there is an Ausfahrt to AVUS (oldest part of Berlin Autobahn) I was in the right lane and the car in front was not from Berlin and drove quite slow. He passed the Ausfahrt and suddenly stopped and reversed to take the exit. Since I had some distance and was not too quick I could break timely and Thank God also the following cars could slow down enough. I think myblood pressure hit the roof... 2) I drove on a normal street where you turn right to enter a part of the Autobahn which starts there. While I was still driving on the street right of me on the bikelane drove a very sportive biker and I joked by myself "He is training for the Autobahn". I would have liked a photo of my face when he actually turned right onto the Autobahn about 50m in front of me. I also had to take the Autobahn and could see him driving on the right lane. Since I was a little quicker I lost sight but some 100m later from the right another part of the Autobahn enters this part he was driving on... I suppose he survived since there was nothing in the news.
What a coincidence, I also live at Ausfahrt 🤣 Little hint - in order to have the minimum driving time and stress, please use the cruise control (Tempomat) add 10% onto the limit and then you are safe, unless it goes downhill steeper than your engine/recuperation can throttle. Because the manufacturers like to give you the idea that you are fast, the tolerance of your speedometer is usually in the way that it shows you just a few percent more than you are actually driving ... e.g. speedlimit is at 70=> set it to +10% => 77km/h which will be a realistic 74 to 76 ... since the police gives you and error of 10%!!! you are still in the green. Anybody who passes you by risks getting points or even loosing his license. If more people would use the cruise control, everybody would be under less stress, because only manual driver are varying their speed unnecessarily up and down many km/h, which is very annoying for anyone at the save v-max. It also helps the engine to run at an almost static RPM for longer periods of time, hence the fuel consumption is super low. All the acceleration and deceleration is what causes the efficiency of a traditional fuel engine to get worse unless you have an all electric car, that handles it like a champ. Anyway bottom line, using the cruise control gives you the highest legal speed, relaxes your right foot and your back, while you maximize focus on the street instead of always looking up and down, panicking being accidentally to fast, it also minimizes the fuel consumption, hence maximizes the range between refueling and is stress free for everyone around you. Make yourself comfortable with the system and combine it with ACC and lane assist if you have, then it is just super relaxing. Almost every car has this feature built-in and almost nobody uses it - what is wrong with people!? Last week I used it consequential and went from Southern Munich to Northern Düsseldorf and back (>1300km) without refueling and in between, also going up to 220km/h in order to compensate a little for also standing still for a while and later moving slower than walking by feet and the many slow 50/70/100km/h limited construction areas, I drove my big station wagon (non SUV!) under 5 liter/100km average, which is pretty amazing. The probability of colliding with deer is also much higher on the country roads (Landstraße) than on the highway ... so it is more relaxing and keeps you safer to do use the highway even it is it the longer way - I would consider that especially at night - had a horrifying accident with deer a few months ago, when choosing the shorter route to save the environment/fuel. According to the statistics here only in Bavaria we have had over 85.000 accidents with native animals in 2017 alone! I have also had punch drunk bicyclists on these streets at night with no lights of course - super scary with these nut jobs! Please consider prioritizing the relatively safe highway, even when you are a dick towards the environment because of the extra miles it may create vs. the shortest route. I learned it the hard way, please learn from my terrible experience!
@@alidemirbas6566 You must have nerves of steel to survive driving so slow - I struggle falling asleep with anything below around 100mph = 165km/h if no limit and the traffic allows to go faster.
Many years ago I drove to Belgium rather often, from Denmark, and I once in a while met a large yellow or green arrow, which pointed to something? I have never been able to find out the reason for those, as I couldn't find anything about them.
There is a green arrow sometimes at traffic lights, indicating that you are allowed to turn right, even if the light is red if you have checked that the intersection is clear.
@@simplegermany Yes I know of those, but the ones I met was a large elongated, 5 angled, one color (maybe with a white border?), pointed sign on the AutoBahn, also I think, sometimes in red, and - maybe pointing to an Exhibition/Sport area or something? But I have never been able to find a reason for them? I had a book, "Right and left from the Autobahn" telling about hotels and "less expensive" gas stations (Sorry, but the one I tried to use, once, during the night, driving through the Ruhr, had the same prices also, so no reason to waste time or fuel to go to there), and also special/unusual signs, but I have never found anything about those large signs?
During a long stop, I managed to be able to turn off by an "Umleitung" number sign and drove easily around in the country, to come back to the Autobahn, just behind the car which I had behind me during the stop!
If people in USA & Canada not hogging the left hand lane and thinking that they have the right to do so, the world will be a better and safer place to drive.
Hihi jaja die Idealzustände, und in Wirklichkeit machen viele wie es ihnen gerade passt. ;-) So viel zu nicht Rechtsüberholen, Wenden, nicht Rückwärtsfahren, Linksblockieren, Linksschleichen. Und vor allem das Wichtigste die 20 sek Regel mal völlig ignorieren.
For the yearly rate, that is very well documented, but requires a bit of explanation. This includes only accident related deaths, not any deaths induced for example by exhaust inhalation, or other such indirect, long-term causes of death (which are included in some countries). So the methods of generating the data vary quite a bit. This also includes deaths within a 30-day time limit after the accident, such as succumbing to injuries incurred during such a traffic accident. This seems to be fairly standard among most nations. The yearly fatality rate of accident related traffic deaths has been declining more or less constantly. In 2021 the total number of deaths due to traffic accidents was 2569. Of these less than 55% were actually vehicle occupants. Thus bicycle riders, or pedestrians made up the the majority of deaths. The last numbers available split among the different types of roads was from 2018: 1867 outside of built up areas (Landstraßen, as was discussed in this video), 984 inside built-up areas (cities, towns, villages), and only 424 fatalities on the Autobahn, with a total 3265 fatalities over all roads. Again, remember that more than 55% were not sitting in a vehicle at the time of the injury. In 2019 high (excessive) speed accounted for roughly 27% of all Autobahn related deaths. The per capita fatality rate is very difficult to calculate as nationalities are not registered in the statistics in Germany. With Germany bordering directly on nine other countries, and being a major transit location for nearly 80% of all EU and several non-EU countries as well, the per capita rate is not really possible, and would also be fairly inaccurate. As the nationality is not registered the per-capita rate can't be accurately calculated to include all residents in Germany.
@@RustyDust101 Thank you for your quite in-depth explanation and for providing some figures. I only asked this question because at least in Berlin, pedestrians and bike and car drivers seem patient and disciplined and follow traffic rules. I have not witnessed or heard about accidents in the last four months. So I felt and expected that accidents are rare here.
In Deutschland ist meiner Meinung nach nur eine Warnweste für den Fahrer verpflichtend. Ich kenn das von anderen Ländern pro Insasse oder sogar pro Sitzplatz.
432?! That is faster than fastest recorded speed on Nurburgring! That is to much. Germany should limit speed on 130 kmh on highway like all other European countries. Italy for example measure speed on every 10 km on highway.
Many people would be happy if general speed limit would exist. But the "Auto-Lobby" is much too high in our country ;-) This will never happen in my point of view.
You don't say why you want this. Now the fact gas is so expensive, makes people saving gas by going slower. That's an individual decision. What advantages does Italy have, with it's speed limit ?
@@holger_p What advantages does Germany have with _no_ speed limits? Not safety, that's for sure. The number of KSI's (people Killed or Injured) is far greater (just over 75 per cent more) on the unrestricted sections than on those with a speed limit. Yes, you can get from A to B quicker, but the chances of you not getting there _at all_ is higher as well. Better late than never, I always say.
@@MSM4U2POM That's the wrong question. Question is, what advantages do speed limits have. And Germany has one of the lowest death rate in the world, #9 in the world, Less than spain, France or Poland, all with speedlimit. From all accidents, only 10% happen on the Autobahn, it's the safest road in first place. It's about 300 people in total per year, and yes maybe it would be 50 less with speed limit. In the total statistik, reducing total number of 3200 accidents by 50, is just not worth it. It's 1.5% less in total. Thereof, you still have to distinguish whether people took their own risk, or hurt somebody else. One thing is clear. Prohibiting traffic in total would reduce accidents to probably 0. But we acceppt a certain small number of accidents as unavoidable. You can also prohibit skiing, It's also about 25 people killled "just for fun". I'm not really "Pro", but actually there is just no for reason "Contra". Main point today is CO2-reduction, not accidents. But since gas prices are high, people go slower anyway, going fast is expensive.
@@holger_p I have seen research by Der Spiegel newspaper which puts the number of lives saved at 140, but of course it has been dismissed by the speed lobby as an exaggeration. I do not know where you got that figure of fifty from, but I think we can safely assume that it is an equally self-serving underestimate. I particularly liked the way you attempted to further trivialise it by expressing it as a percentage of the total number of fatalities for all road types, to make it look smaller and less significant than it actually is. Every trick in the book! If you're not a flag-waving member of the speed brigade, my friend, then you're doing a pretty good impersonation of one. But I digress. Let's say for the sake of argument that your figures are correct: assuming there are around 300 Autobahn deaths per year, and the number of lives saved is indeed about fifty, then by your own evidence, speed limits would reduce Germany's motorway fatalities by 17 per cent! These are YOUR figures - not mine - and when seen in the proper context, even your (very conservative) figure becomes highly significant. You know as well as I do that in any country which takes road safety seriously, if there were a quick and easy way to reduce the number of fatalities on one type of road by such a proportion, it would be implemented immediately because there would be public outrage if it weren't. Germany already has an advisory limit of 130 kmh which applies on the unrestricted sections, so it is nothing new and a concept which is familiar to all German motorists. Drivers exceed it entirely at their own risk, and her insurance and legal systems already enforce it to some extent, so making it legally binding would be simple and certainly no great leap of additional restriction for the majority of Autobahn users. The only thing missing at the moment is the political will to do so, but public opinion is changing and it is only a matter of time before the speed lobby become the minority. And then german politicians will be only too glad to claim the credit for doing something which they should have done decades ago. Fifty lives is fifty lives, my friend, and you can't put a price on that. And if germans can slow down to save gas, then they can slow down to save lives, so please spare us the bullshit.
![Quality Of Life In Germany [The Good & The Bad]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/iJTLm8ld4SA/mqdefault.jpg)
![Quality Of Life In Germany [The Good & The Bad]](/img/tr.png)
One imho very important addition to go to the right side when you have an accident or a breakdown. Always stay behind the crash barrier and don’t wait inside your car for the tow truck or the ADAC to come. This may save your life. So in case of an accident where your car isn’t moving anymore, try to get out as save and as quick as possible and go safely to the side of the Autobahn behind the crash barrier and stay there. You don‘t want to be the guy who died, because someone drove into your accident.
Yes, very true. Thanks for the addition! 😊
This applies to all countries in Europe.
I was picking my mom up from the airport and she did say how enormous Ausfahrt city must be, cause it just keeps being pointed to along the Autobahn :D
😅
yeah ur right its a very big city lol
Cute!😂
Ausfahrt means exit in German as far as i know its not town name exit whoud be written in language of that country like Izlaz in Croatia or Bosnia and Herzegovina
😂😂
Your videos are outstanding, not just for expats but us tourists too. What makes driving in Germany a pleasure is all the common sense rules/laws and for the most part everyone follows. Second would be great German engineering, the Hwys and Autobahn are extremely well engineered and maintained. I've driven in alot of countries where driving is very stressful but in Germany for me it is a pleasure to drive in comparison to what I am used to.
Glad to hear 🤗
Great infomative video! Thanks a lot for your work and studies!
Am driving tomorrow on the Autobahn, I have my test in two weeks but still have lessons on the Autobahn before as I struggled to take notice of signs due to focusing on the car ahead to much etc . Watching videos helps a lot, thanks, I've started driving from scratch here having never driven before, it took longer because I've had so many years seeing different roads and knowing different rules
It was great to see you both on Feli’s channel,’I only Speak Train Station’.
Glad you enjoyed it 😊
The autobahn is also famous for the roadworks, the narrow lanes in the roadworks and the speed limits there.
Very usefull, i drive alot in Germany - it is always good with little reminder
Another interesting one!
11:54 The "end of ruling" signs always show the rule - in this case, the speed limit number. This fourth sign shows none, therefore it finishes ALL rulings at once: "Freie Fahrt für Freie Bürger!" (free driving for free citizens)
Also be aware that the speed limit is valid right until the "end" sign - I've been flashed and fined a few meters before a sign, while accelerating prematurely.
Very true! 😅
@@simplegermany And imagine someone with very basic German reading that sign.. 😅
Well, it takes more knowing what the sign stands for. The German comes in handy if there are specifications written under any sign though 😅
@@simplegermany Ah yes, very true! Signs are of visual importance above language.
@@simplegermany It's good that we are short-spoken - just a few words if any. Other countries tend to write novels to read in passing...
Our host family took us on the Autobahn when we were on highschool exchange and it pretty much just felt like a highway. I was the only Australian who didn't fall asleep, but it was a long drive from Marburg to Berlin.
That's pretty much what it is. We should better find out, why there are so many myths around it. The Italian term Autostrada or the french Autoroute is not so known in the world, as the term Autobahn. It has been one of the first of this type of highways, but that's about it.
I think there's much more special about the Autobahn as you might never thought about. The example that you wouldn't find any advertising signs along to avoid to losing attention. Or you can be pretty sure that you won't get surprised by narrow corners or bumpy asphalt, especially in no speed limit areas. Often we get warned by vibrations, when we passing the white lane stripes, to avoid unwanted lane leaving. Many other little security features like mown weed and shorted trees along the road. A fast working rescue system where a bunch of ppl do their best to get the road free and clean after an accident is a further little piece of the puzzle.
Then the asphalt itself with some layers, is almost 70 cm thick and only in Germany made for high speed. You will never find any puddles on the road. The signs and lanes can be recognized so much good by reflections. That must be sure by a lot manpower who clean and repair all around. Don't forget our traffic laws with no space for interpretations, so that everybody can anticipate what most likely the others would do next or not. After we had learned all that stuff in our driving schools we're the best educated drivers at all, which I mean not arrogant. Further we have the TÜV where trucks once a year and cars all two years have to pass a technical inspection which is one of the hardest or even the hardest in the world. Ask the tuning scene in Germany.
So I can be very sure that the cars around don't lose a wheel suddenly or that maybe are breaks don't working in some cars.
Not to forget about what makes the Autobahn that special is the Germans itself. Only for a kind of disciplined culture, where pretty much anybody like to follow the rules, is it possible at all to keep the system working.
The statistics are proven. At worst times in the 70's where ~28.000 ppl died per year on the roads in Germany. Today, of course because of much more secure cars (many german btw) we reduced this numbers to ~ 2200 ppl per year, also not at least because of all this security standards on the Autobahn.
11:58 The grey sign with only the the three lines ends all restrictions , not only a speed limit.
Just when I am preparing for my theory exam :D You guys are awesome 👍
Good luck for the exam! 🍀
good luck
I laughed so much! And so many great infos! Thank you! 🤗🥰
Nice video. Well told. My car goes 240+ km/h and becoause i live a few km from Germany and the Autobahn, i sometime drive so fast. I like it. Ofcourse only when i have to go somewhere. Regards from 🇧🇪
Another great video, thanks girls 👍
The 'blinker' lights are the hazard warning lights when they flash together so its appropriate that when there is a queue ahead the hazard lights should be flashing.
In UK the police have the option of pulling you over onto the hard shoulder, in which case they will be behind you with their blue lights flashing as a warning to following vehicles or they may move in front and illuminate their 'follow me' sign. The police and the traffic officers (not police) will always pull up behind a car stranded on the hard shoulder until a recovery or repair has been effected.
With no speed limits your are always cautious about what you do and are super aware as to what is around you. Having cruised at 140kph on the Autobahn you cannot naturally assume that the following traffic is not faster than you are and its quite normal for cars to pass travelling at 200kph or more (that 60kph arrives very quickly in the rear view mirror.
There was no mention of Kriegs Spuren, which are lanes usually where there are gradients that have a solid white line separating them from the other lane(s). If you are in the RH lane and you then find that this has converted to a Kriegs Spuren you must not cross the white line no mater how slow the queue of traffic is, you stay there until the restriction is removed. The Kriegs Spuren (trans. War Lane) is primarily for vehicles that will be slowed by the gradient e.g. trucks and it is dangerous to attempt to speed up to join the other lanes. The Kriegs Spuren lane could be travelling at
Great video! Danke 😄
Good job girls!
I have a little story from when I visited Germany for the first time...
After I was picked up from the airport, I went on the autobahn and I couldn't understand why all the trucks we were overtaking were honking their horns continuously... But I realized after some time that it was their engines making that sound because the trucks were driving with their engines maxed out! :)
Bitte was? Der Motor hupt?
Trucks do drive on Sunday, but way fewer. They have a special permit to be allowed to drive on Sunday (because their freight has to arrive in the factory by Monday for example).
Very true! 😊
Die Richtgeschwindigkeit ist eine Empfehlung der Kfz-Versicherungen. Je weiter man sie überschreitet, umso größer der Anteil der "Mitschuld" an einem Unfall. Ab Tempo 200 ist man praktisch nicht mehr versichert wegen "grober Fahrlässigkeit".
@14:30 I was in Germany for a few months for work in 2021 (here again in 2023!!!!!) and I got dinged FOUR times by the same camera rofl. It's much harder to stay within 10km or so speed rather than 10mph. No tickets yet in 2023 so I must have gotten better at it. I never saw the picture taken as I suppose it was sent to the rental car company but I would have liked to have kept all four lol.
Stationary cameras are even kind of dangerous. When you know where they are, you stare more on your tachometer than on whats happening in front of you, especially next to schools where speed limit is usually 30 km/h and you will need to stay below ~35 to not get a photo.
It's even worse when driving an automatic gear shifting car (becoming more and more common in Germany). They often continue accelerating even if not touching the gas pedal, so break control comes into play to keep the car at speed limits.
Germany is a place where outdated rules and traditions mess with modern technologies.
Somehow I missed one or two things beeing mentioned:
1. while driving on the Autobahn put on your car-radio to be allerted of traffic jams. Don't be alarmed if the radio suddenly goes louder - it is on purpous. That means "traffic allert is comming"
2. If U hear "Geisterfahrer auf ..." Keep one the right lane, stay away from left lane till the radio say otherweise. Geisterfahrer means someone is driving on the wrong Part of the Autobahn. It DOES NOT means Ghostrider (the one with the flaming scull) is comming 🤨😁🤗
Thanks for the addition! And most importantly for the clarification of the “Ghost Rider” 🏍💀🔥😅
And it is also illegal to overtake the Geisterfahrer ☝️
That was really informative video and you guys are always so natural and real, it's just super entertaining to watch as always. :D
Jen, I think you've gotten your drivers license about couple years back? I am not fully sure, but I have a suggestion, if you could make a video on "practical driving license exam" only? I know you have a proper video on drivers license explaining each and everything, but it would be amazing if you could make a video specifically about "practical driving test" here in Germany, diving deep into it and sharing your exact experience from start of the test till the end of it, and sharing the challenges you've have had preparing for it, majority of people struggle with that, and your video might help those majority of people and myself of course.
Keep up the amazing videos and all the support for you guys.
The practical test for me was actually quite easy and refreshing, since the examiner was super nice. You really just get instructions on drive left, do this, do that. My biggest struggle, as I mentioned in our driving license video was my German instructor 😅
@@simplegermany I see thank you 😊. It's looking same for me, I cleared my theory in 1 go and now waiting for practical lessons to start, but my teacher seems a bit "serious guy". I hope it goes well 😅
Great Channel ...
👏👏👏👏 excellent videos
Don't forget the middle lane snails. I've seen it so many times: The right lane is free but some people sticking at 120 m/h in the middle lane. Due right overtaking is forbidden one have to pull over from the far right so the far left lane, over take und go to the far right again. Dangerous.
Very smooth indeed
First I like your videos.
Just one thing - temporary revokes (one month) of the license will already be issued if you are more then 21 km/h over speed limit in towns and 26 km/h over speed limit outside of towns - includes the Autobahn.
You will not see emergency vehicles using the "Seitenstreifen" in Germany (in general).
🙏 Thank you you guys mentioned the Warnblinker at sudden traffic jam and the rescue lane. Never heard before about that soo important topic in other videos. Well done 👍
Another little advice is that because of the high speed it is illegal to be out of fuel on the Autobahn . Also, you get displayed on the signs for the next arriving gas station, how much km it takes to the following gas station.
It's not by law I think but it's a standard on the Autobahn, that there isn't more than 50km between 2 gas stations. Principle reachable for you even your fuel clock is in the red part.
All over it's a bad idea at all, to buy fuel on the Autobahn. Unless you like to pay €2.50 per liter. If you plan a longer rest with food and stuff and don't wanna get bankrupted, you should look for an "Autohof". This are often bigger areas, recognizable long before because of very high signs, very often next to the Autobahn, sometimes with a gamble store and Mc Donald's, are made for truckers, so they're more affordable, especially if you're on tour as a family.
Thank me later for this advice😉
Warnblinker are not just blinkers but hazard lights or hazard flasher
Great! Please do a video about bringing to Germany the insurance "No claim bonus" for the car, from a different country.
There is no straightforward answer. Get a document from your current insurance stating your record and then contact your new insurance whether they will accept it. 😊
"Ausfahrt" - haha, when I first arrived in Germany, I couldn't find that famous "Einbahnstraße" street, although I follow all the signs 😅
😅 that’s also a confusing one 😝
Couple of days ago I've read that somebody was not only driving in the Rettungsgasse but also had an accident there. And it costed them thousands of Euro...
If you do so, the police really hates you and all other drivers will be really angry. That's a true no-go on the autobahn - no matter what.
You forgot (at least) two very important rules:
1. Always have enough gas in your car as running out of fuel is not a valid reason to stop - and if caught by the police, you'll be fined.
2. Variable road signs are as mandatory as regular ones. E.g. when there is a lot of traffic, the speed limit gets reduced, whereas in times of few traffic there might be no speed limit at all.
Thanks for the addition 🙂
You also should not run out of fuel on the Autobahn….
And if you see an accident happening (not only on the Autobahn) you are obligated to offer first aid, hence the first aid kit in the car and the obligatory first aid course before starting driving lessons.
Look far ahead when traveling fast, but also behind you in the mirrors as there could be drivers faster still.
When I first got in theAutobahn it was with my senior colleagues on our way to a workshop and tbh I was kinda surprised how fast Germans drive (compared to my home country). When I commented on it my colleague/supervisor asked how come people don't drive so fast on the highway in my home country and my only response was
"Because there are too many of us"
And not in every country the drivers NEED to drive as fast as they can. I observed it e.g. in Denmark and France that many drivers were OK with going slower. I observe it because I'm there with an RV not going fast and seeing normal cars just driving behind me even if they could overtake. I got wondering the first time in Brittany overtaking lots of cars with my old RV if I missed some speed limit (I did not).
Am second here ❤️love your videos and I love the Autobahn my favorite road 😀😀😀
Funny, tomorrow I‘m going to pass that exact direction sign on the A3. 🙂
Have a save drive 😉
@@simplegermany Thank you. It was a save drive. But now that I‘ve been there I have to tell you, that the sign actually ist the actual sign anymore. They added „Nentershausen“ below „Wallmerod“. 🙂
I was riding in a Karmann Ghia on the Autobahn it was the scariest ride I'd ever been in!
Cause the Karmann was too fast or the cars around you were too fast?
@@simplegermany
Karmann Gia it was too small to be going 100 miles in!
My former housemate also once went to Germany and they were surprised how big that place "Ausfahrt" is lol
😅
Great video :) i would like to add this also
It's illegal to run out of fuel on the German autobahn and you can be fined if you do.
it`s a fine about 70€ and one point in the Flensburg Traffic register.
Two stories from the Berliner Stadtautobahn. Both happened in the afternoon when I was driving home after work.
1) it was near Funkturm where there is an Ausfahrt to AVUS (oldest part of Berlin Autobahn) I was in the right lane and the car in front was not from Berlin and drove quite slow. He passed the Ausfahrt and suddenly stopped and reversed to take the exit. Since I had some distance and was not too quick I could break timely and Thank God also the following cars could slow down enough. I think myblood pressure hit the roof...
2) I drove on a normal street where you turn right to enter a part of the Autobahn which starts there. While I was still driving on the street right of me on the bikelane drove a very sportive biker and I joked by myself "He is training for the Autobahn". I would have liked a photo of my face when he actually turned right onto the Autobahn about 50m in front of me. I also had to take the Autobahn and could see him driving on the right lane. Since I was a little quicker I lost sight but some 100m later from the right another part of the Autobahn enters this part he was driving on...
I suppose he survived since there was nothing in the news.
Yes, those things happen on rare occasion 🙈
Rule #11 There is always someone faster than you.
What a coincidence, I also live at Ausfahrt 🤣
Little hint - in order to have the minimum driving time and stress, please use the cruise control (Tempomat) add 10% onto the limit and then you are safe, unless it goes downhill steeper than your engine/recuperation can throttle. Because the manufacturers like to give you the idea that you are fast, the tolerance of your speedometer is usually in the way that it shows you just a few percent more than you are actually driving ... e.g. speedlimit is at 70=> set it to +10% => 77km/h which will be a realistic 74 to 76 ... since the police gives you and error of 10%!!! you are still in the green.
Anybody who passes you by risks getting points or even loosing his license. If more people would use the cruise control, everybody would be under less stress, because only manual driver are varying their speed unnecessarily up and down many km/h, which is very annoying for anyone at the save v-max. It also helps the engine to run at an almost static RPM for longer periods of time, hence the fuel consumption is super low. All the acceleration and deceleration is what causes the efficiency of a traditional fuel engine to get worse unless you have an all electric car, that handles it like a champ.
Anyway bottom line, using the cruise control gives you the highest legal speed, relaxes your right foot and your back, while you maximize focus on the street instead of always looking up and down, panicking being accidentally to fast, it also minimizes the fuel consumption, hence maximizes the range between refueling and is stress free for everyone around you. Make yourself comfortable with the system and combine it with ACC and lane assist if you have, then it is just super relaxing. Almost every car has this feature built-in and almost nobody uses it - what is wrong with people!?
Last week I used it consequential and went from Southern Munich to Northern Düsseldorf and back (>1300km) without refueling and in between, also going up to 220km/h in order to compensate a little for also standing still for a while and later moving slower than walking by feet and the many slow 50/70/100km/h limited construction areas, I drove my big station wagon (non SUV!) under 5 liter/100km average, which is pretty amazing.
The probability of colliding with deer is also much higher on the country roads (Landstraße) than on the highway ... so it is more relaxing and keeps you safer to do use the highway even it is it the longer way - I would consider that especially at night - had a horrifying accident with deer a few months ago, when choosing the shorter route to save the environment/fuel. According to the statistics here only in Bavaria we have had over 85.000 accidents with native animals in 2017 alone!
I have also had punch drunk bicyclists on these streets at night with no lights of course - super scary with these nut jobs!
Please consider prioritizing the relatively safe highway, even when you are a dick towards the environment because of the extra miles it may create vs. the shortest route. I learned it the hard way, please learn from my terrible experience!
Yes, we love cruise control 😊
@@alidemirbas6566 You must have nerves of steel to survive driving so slow - I struggle falling asleep with anything below around 100mph = 165km/h if no limit and the traffic allows to go faster.
Guten Tag
Super
Many years ago I drove to Belgium rather often, from Denmark, and I once in a while met a large yellow or green arrow, which pointed to something? I have never been able to find out the reason for those, as I couldn't find anything about them.
There is a green arrow sometimes at traffic lights, indicating that you are allowed to turn right, even if the light is red if you have checked that the intersection is clear.
@@simplegermany Yes I know of those, but the ones I met was a large elongated, 5 angled, one color (maybe with a white border?), pointed sign on the AutoBahn, also I think, sometimes in red, and - maybe pointing to an Exhibition/Sport area or something? But I have never been able to find a reason for them? I had a book, "Right and left from the Autobahn" telling about hotels and "less expensive" gas stations (Sorry, but the one I tried to use, once, during the night, driving through the Ruhr, had the same prices also, so no reason to waste time or fuel to go to there), and also special/unusual signs, but I have never found anything about those large signs?
During a long stop, I managed to be able to turn off by an "Umleitung" number sign and drove easily around in the country, to come back to the Autobahn, just behind the car which I had behind me during the stop!
Remember "Die Reettungsgasse"
I have a really good question, How is Marijuana legal in Germany and what are the regulations?
Does rule #10 also apply when there is already an emergency lane on the right? It is shown that way in the picture, but I find it odd.
Yes! The emergency lane on the right needs to remain empty for potential breakdowns.
@@simplegermany Okay. In the Netherlands emergency vehicles just drive on the emergency lane on the right.
Simply yes ... the "Standstreifen" (officaly "Mehrzweckstreifen) must be kept free on all circumstances.
Leider habt ihr Reißverschlussverfahren nicht erklärt. :(
True, we talk about it in this video ua-cam.com/video/Rh4k0U6K9_c/v-deo.html as word number 4 😊
If people in USA & Canada not hogging the left hand lane and thinking that they have the right to do so, the world will be a better and safer place to drive.
Jen, wie war deine erste Autobahnerfahrung?
Ich erinner mich nicht 😅 das ist schon 10 Jahre her 😇
Hihi jaja die Idealzustände, und in Wirklichkeit machen viele wie es ihnen gerade passt. ;-) So viel zu nicht Rechtsüberholen, Wenden, nicht Rückwärtsfahren, Linksblockieren, Linksschleichen. Und vor allem das Wichtigste die 20 sek Regel mal völlig ignorieren.
You forgot on more and important thing. It's illegal to run out of fuel on the Autobahn. You get also fined for it. ;)
And also to drive backward because you missed the exit.
Yes, very true!
@@anna-ranja4573 😂😂😂How to reverse !?you need to be crazy to this kind of thinks on autobahn
@@razvantirca9957 I just have seen it one week ago. Really crazy this man
Where has the new studio gone?
I'm sure that nowhere to worry for, they just have pre-recorded this episode a bit earlier, and tbat's totally fine. 😉
@ Fanny you are spot on 😉
@@simplegermany Well, at least I can do that.. because on the subject as of yet, the only Autobahn I can talk about is Kraftwerk's! 🤣
😅
👍
3:15 Was ist 20/20?
Here you go: ua-cam.com/play/PLnp3hGZLHcOWJQA3NHjG8OnF3ozFdvk7h.html
what's the yearly and percapita fatality in Germany?
For the yearly rate, that is very well documented, but requires a bit of explanation. This includes only accident related deaths, not any deaths induced for example by exhaust inhalation, or other such indirect, long-term causes of death (which are included in some countries). So the methods of generating the data vary quite a bit. This also includes deaths within a 30-day time limit after the accident, such as succumbing to injuries incurred during such a traffic accident. This seems to be fairly standard among most nations.
The yearly fatality rate of accident related traffic deaths has been declining more or less constantly. In 2021 the total number of deaths due to traffic accidents was 2569. Of these less than 55% were actually vehicle occupants. Thus bicycle riders, or pedestrians made up the the majority of deaths.
The last numbers available split among the different types of roads was from 2018: 1867 outside of built up areas (Landstraßen, as was discussed in this video), 984 inside built-up areas (cities, towns, villages), and only 424 fatalities on the Autobahn, with a total 3265 fatalities over all roads. Again, remember that more than 55% were not sitting in a vehicle at the time of the injury.
In 2019 high (excessive) speed accounted for roughly 27% of all Autobahn related deaths.
The per capita fatality rate is very difficult to calculate as nationalities are not registered in the statistics in Germany. With Germany bordering directly on nine other countries, and being a major transit location for nearly 80% of all EU and several non-EU countries as well, the per capita rate is not really possible, and would also be fairly inaccurate. As the nationality is not registered the per-capita rate can't be accurately calculated to include all residents in Germany.
We also share some more stats in our guide: www.simplegermany.com/german-autobahn/#Is_the_Autobahn_dangerous
@@RustyDust101 Thank you for your quite in-depth explanation and for providing some figures. I only asked this question because at least in Berlin, pedestrians and bike and car drivers seem patient and disciplined and follow traffic rules. I have not witnessed or heard about accidents in the last four months. So I felt and expected that accidents are rare here.
In Deutschland ist meiner Meinung nach nur eine Warnweste für den Fahrer verpflichtend. Ich kenn das von anderen Ländern pro Insasse oder sogar pro Sitzplatz.
Those Guatemalan balloons though 👀
14:05 Obligatory, not recommended.
MEIN AUTO!
Yvonne is a true hotness.
Love you Girls
432?! That is faster than fastest recorded speed on Nurburgring! That is to much. Germany should limit speed on 130 kmh on highway like all other European countries. Italy for example measure speed on every 10 km on highway.
Many people would be happy if general speed limit would exist. But the "Auto-Lobby" is much too high in our country ;-) This will never happen in my point of view.
You don't say why you want this. Now the fact gas is so expensive, makes people saving gas by going slower. That's an individual decision.
What advantages does Italy have, with it's speed limit ?
@@holger_p What advantages does Germany have with _no_ speed limits? Not safety, that's for sure. The number of KSI's (people Killed or Injured) is far greater (just over 75 per cent more) on the unrestricted sections than on those with a speed limit. Yes, you can get from A to B quicker, but the chances of you not getting there _at all_ is higher as well. Better late than never, I always say.
@@MSM4U2POM That's the wrong question. Question is, what advantages do speed limits have.
And Germany has one of the lowest death rate in the world, #9 in the world, Less than spain, France or Poland, all with speedlimit.
From all accidents, only 10% happen on the Autobahn, it's the safest road in first place.
It's about 300 people in total per year, and yes maybe it would be 50 less with speed limit. In the total statistik, reducing total number of 3200 accidents by 50, is just not worth it. It's 1.5% less in total.
Thereof, you still have to distinguish whether people took their own risk, or hurt somebody else.
One thing is clear. Prohibiting traffic in total would reduce accidents to probably 0.
But we acceppt a certain small number of accidents as unavoidable.
You can also prohibit skiing, It's also about 25 people killled "just for fun".
I'm not really "Pro", but actually there is just no for reason "Contra".
Main point today is CO2-reduction, not accidents.
But since gas prices are high, people go slower anyway, going fast is expensive.
@@holger_p I have seen research by Der Spiegel newspaper which puts the number of lives saved at 140, but of course it has been dismissed by the speed lobby as an exaggeration. I do not know where you got that figure of fifty from, but I think we can safely assume that it is an equally self-serving underestimate. I particularly liked the way you attempted to further trivialise it by expressing it as a percentage of the total number of fatalities for all road types, to make it look smaller and less significant than it actually is. Every trick in the book! If you're not a flag-waving member of the speed brigade, my friend, then you're doing a pretty good impersonation of one.
But I digress. Let's say for the sake of argument that your figures are correct: assuming there are around 300 Autobahn deaths per year, and the number of lives saved is indeed about fifty, then by your own evidence, speed limits would reduce Germany's motorway fatalities by 17 per cent! These are YOUR figures - not mine - and when seen in the proper context, even your (very conservative) figure becomes highly significant.
You know as well as I do that in any country which takes road safety seriously, if there were a quick and easy way to reduce the number of fatalities on one type of road by such a proportion, it would be implemented immediately because there would be public outrage if it weren't. Germany already has an advisory limit of 130 kmh which applies on the unrestricted sections, so it is nothing new and a concept which is familiar to all German motorists. Drivers exceed it entirely at their own risk, and her insurance and legal systems already enforce it to some extent, so making it legally binding would be simple and certainly no great leap of additional restriction for the majority of Autobahn users. The only thing missing at the moment is the political will to do so, but public opinion is changing and it is only a matter of time before the speed lobby become the minority. And then german politicians will be only too glad to claim the credit for doing something which they should have done decades ago.
Fifty lives is fifty lives, my friend, and you can't put a price on that. And if germans can slow down to save gas, then they can slow down to save lives, so please spare us the bullshit.
110 km/h is enough. ❤ Simple Germany ❤
I do 200km/h on the Autobahn something even more than that😀😀😀
@@ajaykallon1590 Amen!
Everywhere, always, for any vehicle?
@@ehemalssimehtt3739 if 110 is enough for you, you are allowed to do so. Trucks are limited to 100, just follow them.
@@holger_p Amen!